Weed-puller.



L. SCH/HER.

WEED FULLER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. 1916.

Patented May 1, 191% E ie/v20 A5 aze!" TYNTTED STATE PATENT @FMQE.

LOUIS SCHAIER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

WEED-FULLER.

Application filed .Tune 19, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs SCHAIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Weed-Pullers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for digging and picking-up dandelions and other weeds that grow on lawns; and, to this end, it consists of the novel devices and combinations of'devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved device with some parts broken away and some parts shown in different positions by means of broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, with some parts sectioned -on the irregular line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal central section-taken on the irregular line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view, principally in transverse section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

The improved device comprises a relatively long handle 1, a cutting blade 2, a pair of pinching jaws 3 and a ground-engaging stop 4.

The lower end of the handle 1 is bifurcated to form a pair of prongs 5 and the cutting blade 2 is provided with a tang 6, mounted between said prongs for longitudinal sliding movement. A ferrule 7 is applied over the lower end portions of the prongs 5 and holds said prongs against lateral separation and the tang 6 against edgewise movement therebetween. The shoulders 8, formed at the junction of the cutting blade 2 and its tang 6, engage the ferrule 7 and limit the endwise movement of'the cutting blade 2 toward the handle 1.

A thumb nut-equipped bolt 9 is provided for frictionally clamping the tang 6 against one of the prongs 5 and thereby holding the cutting blade 2 rigid, with respect to the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

Serial No. 104,475.

handle 1, and in different adjustments. The head of this bolt 9 is located in an aperture 10, formed in one of the prongs 5, and its body extends through a longitudinal slot 11, formed in the tang 6, and through a bore 12 in the other of said prongs. The head of the bolt 9 bears directly against the tang 6 and its thumb nut reacts against the outer face of the prongs 5 in which the bore 12 is formed. A washer 13 is interposed between the thumb nut on the bolt 9 and the adjacent prong 5. The bolt 9 also holds the upper end portion of the tang 6 against edgewise movement.

Integrally formed with each pinching jaw 3, is a lever 14. These levers 14 are crossed and intermediately pivoted to the ferrule 7 by a screw 15. This pivot screw 15 projects transversely of the cutting edge of the blade 2 and the pinching jaws 3 open and close in a plane parallel thereto. A pair of links 16 pivotally connect the upper ends of the levers 14 to the lower end of a rod 17. Obviously, the levers 14 and links 16 form toggles for opening and closing the pinching jaws 3.

The intermediate portion of the rod 17 is mounted for endwise sliding movement in a tubular guide 18, secured in parallel arrangement to the handle 1 by a pair of eye-bolts 19. The upper end of the rod 17 is pivotally connected at 20 to the lower end of a tubular hand piece 21, which surrounds the handle 1 and has axial sliding movement thereon.

The ground-engaging stop 4 is adjustably secured, with respect to the cutting edge of the blade 2, by a pair of screws 22 extended through a longitudinal slot 23 formed in the body of said stop and having screw-threaded engagement with the ferrule 7. The heads of-the screws 22 bear directly against the body of the stop 4 and frictionally clamp the same onto the ferrule 7. On the lower end of the stop 4, is an oblique foot 24 which .directly engages the ground to regulate the depth to which the cutting blade 2 enters the same. The lower or cutting edge of the blade 2 is made slightly concave at its intermediate portion, so that it will not slip off from a root, during the cutting action, but will tend to draw the engaged root toward the center of the cutting edge.

In the use of the improved device, the handle 1 is held obliquely from the operator with the cutting blade 2 resting on the ground close to the root of a dandelion or weed, which is to be du up. At this time, one of the operators han s grasps the upper portion of the handle 1 and his other hand grasps the hand piece 21 and presses downward thereon to open the jaws 3. The cutting blade 2 is then forced into the ground by a pressure applied by either one or both of the operators hands. This downward pressure will force the blade 2 into the ground, and sever the root of the dandelion or weed to be dug up. The stop l, limiting the downward movement of the device and the depth to which the cutting blade enters the ground, positions the pinching jaws 3 slightly above the ground line, so that they will not dig into the ground when closed. With the jaws 3 thus positioned, the same are closed onto the dandelion or weed to be pulled by an upward movement of the hand piece 21. The entire device is then pulled toward the operator and the dandelion or weed, grasped by the jaws 3, pulled from the ground. By a downward movement of the handpiece 21, the jaws 3 are again opened, releasing the dandelion or weed held thereby.

From the above description, it is evident.

that the improved device can be operated very easily and quickly and the jaws 3 will not dig up any of the ground and, therefore, will not spoil the appearance of the lawn.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the kind described, the combination with ahandle, of a cutting blade secured to the lower end of the handle, a pair of pinching jaws for pickingup a plant or weed, the root of which has been cut by the cutting blade, and an adjustable ground-engaging stop for limiting the depth to which the cutting blade enters the ground.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a handle, of a cutting blade movably mounted on the lower end of the handle, a pair of pinching jaws pivotally secured in respect to the handle for picking up a plant or Weed, the root of which has been cut by the cutting blade, and means for securing the cutting blade to the handle with its cutting edge in different adjustments in respect to the pinching jaws.

3. In a device of the-kind described, the combination with a handle, of a cutting blade movably mounted on the lower end of the handle, a pair of pinching jaws pivotally secured in respect to the handle for picking up a plant or Weed, the root of which has been cut by the cutting blade, means for securing the cutting blade to the handle with its cutting edge in different adjustments in respect to the pinching jaws, and an adjustable ground-engaging stop for limitingithe depth to which the cutting blade enters the ground.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LOUIS SCHAIER. Witnesses:

CLARA DEMAREST, HARRY D. KILGORE. 

